Canelo Alvarez has an image to repair before Golovkin rematch

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Canelo Alvarez, seen at his open workout in front of Staples Center in August ahead of his first fight with Gennady Golovkin, has work to do to repair his reputation ahead of their rematch in September. (Photo by Gene Blevins)

Canelo Alvarez has a job to do – repair a reputation that has been damaged.

He can do that by making sure no more performance-enhancing drugs get into his system, and by fighting with the heart of a lion when he tangles with middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin in their rematch Sept. 15 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view).

If Alvarez does those two things, he’ll take some steps toward regaining some of the respect he’s lost over the past year, even if he loses the fight.

On Monday, at a restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, Team Golovkin hosted a luncheon. It was called to celebrate Golovkin, 36, being named pound-for-pound champion by The Ring. It came only days after the deal for the rematch was reached, so that was foremost on the minds of everyone present.

Here’s the timeline of events that has changed the way some look at Alvarez:

– Alvarez moved a lot in his first fight with Golovkin, which does not sit well with most of his fellow Mexicans, the fight being scored a controversial split-draw Sept. 16 at T-Mobile.

– A May 5 rematch is agreed upon, but Alvarez can’t make it because he twice tested positive for the PED clenbuterol in February and is suspended six months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission; Golovkin eventually has to take short money to defend two of his three championship belts against Vanes Martirosyan on Cinco De Mayo.

– Alvarez claims contaminated meat in Mexico is to blame for the dirty tests, that he did not knowingly ingest the PED. Yet, it has been known for years that problem exists in Mexico. Alvarez’s co-trainer and manager, Chepo Reynoso, even worked as butcher there for more than 30 years.

– Golovkin knows he is about to get stripped of his IBF belt for not signing to fight its mandatory challenger, and decides he wants more than the 65-35 percent split in favor of Alvarez for the rematch – Alvarez took 70-30 in the first fight – with the sides eventually coming to terms on a 55-45 split for Alvarez.

It was therefore no surprise when, at Monday’s gig, Golovkin came up with this response when asked how much respect he has lost for Alvarez through all this.

“How much? A lot.”

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Abel Sanchez trains Golovkin (38-0-1, 34 KOs) and said Alvarez and his trainers should have been smart enough to avoid meat contamination, if that’s why Alvarez tested positive. He pointed to Reynoso’s previous work as a butcher.

Tom Loeffler, who promotes Golovkin, echoed that sentiment.

“Triple G feels that when you’re at that level, you should be held to a higher standard,” Loeffler said. “Regardless of how a substance got into your body, you need to know what you’re eating.

“And athletes at that level can afford to have the type of training camps or the type of food preparation where you don’t take that type of a chance of not knowing what gets in your body.”

Loeffler agreed this is Alvarez’s opportunity to get back into the good graces of those currently wondering about him.

“I know Triple G was extremely disappointed and frustrated with the positive tests,” Loeffler said. “As I’ve said before, had Triple G tested positive, everybody would have jumped on him.

“And so I think Canelo took a big hit and this is the fight that can rehabilitate his image.”

Alvarez, 27, is not the first boxer to test positive for PEDs. He won’t be the last. It’s how Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs) conducts himself moving forward that will determine how people evaluate him.

If Alvarez stays clean, then goes in and takes Golovkin’s two remaining titles, this episode will be a distant memory. But he has to fight hard and take chances.

By the way, want to know the definition of a mean joke? At Monday’s luncheon where filet mignon was served, the heading on a menu designed for the event read, “VADA approved.”

VADA is the Volunteer Anti-Doping Agency.

Etc.

Vergil Ortiz (9-0, 9 KOs) of Grand Prairie, Texas, and Juan Carlos Salgado (27-8-1, 16 KOs) of Mexico will square off in the junior welterweight main event Saturday from Belasco Theater in Los Angeles (on ESPN2). … We are a week out from the June 30 super middleweight title fight between champion Gilberto Ramirez (37-0, 25 KOs) of Mexico and Roamer Alexis Angulo (23-0, 20 KOs) of Colombia from Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City (on ESPN). … Jose Ramirez (22-0, 16 KOs) of Avenal on July 7 will defend his junior welterweight title when he tangles with Danny O’Connor (30-3, 11 KOs) of Framingham, Mass., at Save Mart Arena in Fresno (on ESPN).